Nut picker



Feb. 12, 1946. .B. F. BROWN I 2,394,745

NUTPICKER Filed June 4. 1942 3 Sheets-Shet 1 Feb; 12, 1946.

B. F. BROWN NUTPICKER s Shets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4. 1942 B. F. BROWN NUTPICKER Feb. 12,1946.

Filed June 4. 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 12, 1946 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' NUT PICKER Benjamin- F. Brown, Vancouver, Wash.

Application June 4, 1942, Serial No. 445,795

1 Claim. (01. 83r-35) This invention relates to an apparatus for harvesting or picking nuts, for instance filberts, from the ground.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a practical construction which will attain the end stated through vacuum action.

Another important object is to provide means to remove husks from the nuts before they are arranged in a pile or sacked, and particularly by passage through belts movable at different speeds.

Still another object is to provide means for blowing the husks from the machine before piling or sacking of the nuts.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view primarily in central vertical section through a machine carrying out my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the machine, and

Figure 5 is an inverted or bottom plan view of the picking nozzle.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, the apparatus comprises a housing or casing of any suitable size or shape which is designated l0. and may be carried by a vehicle or provided with wheels as preferred.

A nozzle of any desired form is provided at H for movement over the ground or location from which the nuts are to be picked or removed in order to collect them by vacuum action. Such nozzle is attached to a collecting conduit I 2 which is preferably a rubber or other flexible hose and coupled at l3 to a metallic pipe or conduit I4 extending diagonally and into the interior of the casing ID with its inner end supported in a wall l5, depending from the top of the casing and together with upwardly flaring screens or foraminous walls l8, forming a receiving chute IT for filberts or other nuts or material which is collected. k

Suction or vacuum is created through the nozzle II and conduits I 2 and [4 to draw the nuts or the like into the chute I! through the rotation of a fan or blower 18 which may be of any This housing is preferably portable suitable form. Such blower I8 is located within a duct 19 emerging into a tapered portion 20 and then into an outlet pipe or conduit 2| which meets the conduit I4 as shown. Duct I9 is sup ported in any suitable manner as by means of rivets 22 attached to the casing Ill. The shaft of the fan or blower I8 is shown at 23 and is equipped with a pulley 24 traversed by belt means 25 also traversing pulley means 26 on a shaft 21 journaled in suitable bearings 28 and 29 within the casing I0. Said shaft 21 is driven from any suitable prime mover such as an engine 30 whose main shaft has pulley means 3|; thereon and drives belt means 32 traversing pulley means 33 on shaft 21.

The casing H1 at the chute I1, is open above and below the same, above the same permitting release of air and being provided with a flap or closure 34 pivoted at 35 to the casing. The vacuum action will maintain the flap 34 open as shown in Figure 1 during operation of the apparatus. A deflector or baffle 36 is provided adjacent the lower end of the chute l1 to direct the collected nuts onto an endless belt conveyor 31. The nuts after reception by conveyor 31 are then moved in the path of the arrows between the conveyor 31 and a conveyor 38 above the same. The nuts and husks after passing between the conveyors 31 and 38 fall onto an inverted V-shaped deflector or divider 39, suitably fastened within casing H), which directs them onto endless conveyors arranged one on each side of the deflector 39. The nuts then pass between the conveyors 40 and endless conveyors 4| located directly thereover. The nuts after passage between conveyors 40 and 4| may be gathered in any suitable manner. However, I preferably provide an inclined trough 42 which has a divider 43 therein to divert the nuts into bags or receptacles fastened or positioned to receive them at outlets 44 of the trough.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the conveyor 38 travels faster than the conveyor 31 and that the conveyor 4| travels faster than the conveyor 40. The speed of the conveyors 38 and 4| may be the same although one may operate faster than the other if desired. Due to the differential in speed of the different belts, the nuts with husks thereon, as they pass between the belts, will be contacted by the belts and the husks removed. Hence, the nuts falling into the trough 42 will be devoid of their husks. The husks however together with any foreign matter which is drawn into the machine as the nuts are collected and. which passes with the nuts between I the belts, will be blown out of the casing through above the chute 42. "through operation of a blower 46 mounted in a a. sack 45 in communication with the atmosphere The action is effected casing 41 and having a duct 48 discharging into the casing I over the trough 42.

All of the belts 3T, 38, 40 and 4| and the blower 46, are driven from the aforesaid prime mover From the foregoing, it will be clear that the nuts are collected, picked or harvested by vacuum or suction created through the nozzle due to the action of the; fan l8, the nuts being received i the chute l1 and passinginto box 64 and thence between the conveyors 31 and 38', thence onto the deflector 39 and into the boxes 65 and between the conveyors 40 and 4| therein. The

30. To this end, a bevel gear 49 is keyed to shaft 21 and is enmeshed with a bevel gear 50 keyed to a short shaft journaled in a sidewall of the casing l0.

Exteriorly of easing l0, a pulley 52 is keyed to shaft5| and a belt 53 is trained thereover and a over a pulley 54 keyed to the shaft 55 of blowe or fan 46 in order to drive the latter. 7

Endless belt or conveyor 31 at opposite ends istrained over pulleys or enlargements of shafts 56 and 51. Likewise, at opposite ends, the con- L veyor 38 is trained over pulleys or enlargements nuts have their husks removed due to the differential speeds of operation of the various belts and such husks are .blown from the ,machine through the action of fan 46 through sack 45, the

' 1 :nuts falling into the trough 42 and being collected of shafts-58 and 59-at opposite ends; conveyor :is trained over enlargements or pulleys ofv shafts 60 and '.6| at opposite ends, and conveyor 4| is trained over enlargements or pulleys on shaitsa62and63 at opposite-ends.

.All of the shafts 56 to 63 are horizontal and journaled in a side wall of the casing l0 and also in adjacent vertical walls of boxes 64 and 65 provided attfi between the shaft 5| and shaft 63i, a zbelt'and :p-ulley drive is provided between the shafts 62 and 60 at 61, a belt and pulley drive is provided between the shafts 62 and 58 at '68and a belt and pulley drive is provided between the j shafts :59 :and :51 at 69.

j within which the pairs of belts 3'! and 38, and 45 and 4| are located,.respectively. On the exterior .of the casmg ma belt and pulley drive is "in bags registering with the outlets; or other wise.

Narious changes may be resorted to provided they fall withinthe spirit and scope of the invention. T

through the conduit, and means functioning dually to convey gathered nuts from the troug h and to remove the 'husks therefrom, comprising upper and lower endless husk'ing elements between which the nuts pass, said elements being movable at different speeds, the lower element 'eitending beyond the upper element and constituting abettom for said trough. I i Q r BENJAMIN F. BROWN. 7 

